Contract Marriage with the Devil Duke (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8

  1. Home
  2. Contract Marriage with the Devil Duke (Completed Main Story)
  3. Chapter 8
Prev
Next

Orentia quickly picked the sleep from her eyes and washed her face in the washbasin water brought by her maid, Bobby.

Since there were now many other servants in the House of Venus besides Bobby, she had wanted to let Bobby rest a bit. But Bobby insisted she absolutely couldn’t.

‘I must attend to you, Miss. You’re far too particular—any other girl would quit before long.’

It felt as if Bobby’s voice was echoing again in her head. Orentia dried her face with a thick towel and said,

“Why don’t you just quietly act as head maid? Who else would do it if not you?”

Worry for Bobby was evident in Orentia’s voice.

Bobby, who knew that better than anyone, let out a small laugh.

“Haha! I’m still not mature enough to handle such a role.”

“Really? Anyone else would’ve thought, ‘Finally, my hard work is over and happiness begins.’”

Despite her blunt words, Bobby only looked puzzled.

As she combed Orentia’s soft hair with a fine-toothed comb, Bobby said,

“Miss, back when I was the youngest maid suffering at Count Armenuaka’s estate, I was so grateful when you chose me as your personal maid.”

Bobby lowered her head slightly, perhaps feeling a little shy.

Orentia felt just as embarrassed. She hadn’t expected Bobby to still hold onto something that happened so long ago.

About twelve years ago, Orentia had selected Bobby—the smallest, youngest, and most inexperienced maid—as her personal attendant.

There wasn’t any grand reason behind it.

She had simply grown worried seeing her fade away day by day.

To Orentia, who had been raised with abundant parental love, witnessing someone who looked as though they might give up on life at any moment was an utterly foreign experience.

Orentia, who had always lived with a generous and content heart, had simply wanted to share that abundance with someone else.

That was how her bond with Bobby began.

Orentia briefly turned her gaze away and scratched her itchy eyebrow.

“I think I was a bit arrogant back then.”

“How so?”

“I confidently thought that if you came to stay by my side, you’d surely become happy. You remember, don’t you? What I was like back then.”

Remembering the past always made Orentia’s face flush.

After making Bobby her personal maid, she had treated her as though bestowing charity upon a beggar.

‘Do you want this? Why are you so thin?’

She fretted endlessly, unable to help in every little matter.

‘How’s life these days? Isn’t it wonderful now that you’re with me?’

She even prompted responses just to receive praise.

‘You’re truly blessed to have a mistress like me.’

She had even praised herself.

Orentia closed her eyes in shame.

“Oh… Why did I do that? I still regret it even now.”

But Bobby’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Oh, don’t say that! Back then, I never found you unpleasant at all—you were just adorable. And you still are.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m still immature, does it?”

“Of course not! You hate hearing that most of all. I’m just truly happy to be your personal maid.”

“Ah! You don’t have to speak to me like you did when we were kids anymore!”

“Alright. Miss, I’m really happy.”

“You look awfully pleased since I decided to tease you.”

Orentia gave a soft chuckle and recalled the information she’d obtained last night from the Information Guild after paying a huge sum. Right now, she had to focus all her efforts on persuading Archbishop Verbu.

‘His Grace Archbishop Verbu has gone to the Odor Territory to handle some unofficial business.’

She’d been utterly shocked to hear those words from the guild member.

After all, Count Odor, who governed the Odor Territory, was Malisa’s brother—and thus Orentia’s maternal uncle.

Since she had always exchanged letters with her uncle, she figured she could stay briefly at Count Odor’s estate if she traveled there.

Though it was quite far from Noctifer, requiring an inconvenient train ride, she was fully prepared to endure it.

Orentia wore a dress made of muslin, a fabric ideal for perspiration. The weather had been growing steadily warmer.

‘It’s the first time I’m visiting without prior notice. I hope it’ll be alright…’

Sending word ahead to Count Odor’s estate and waiting for a reply would take too much time. By then, Archbishop Verbu might have already moved elsewhere.

Trending

Therefore, reckless as it was, she simply had to leave immediately.

Orentia donned a bonnet with a simple pattern and stepped out of the House of Venus. The hot spring sun pierced through her bonnet, warming even the top of her head.

‘It seems the road ahead will be quite rough.’

Unconsciously, Orentia let out a wry smile.

[This is the timeline separator]

“What do you mean I can’t get a first-class ticket? Why not?”

Orentia stared straight at the ticket clerk’s troubled face and asked bluntly.

She was currently standing in front of the ticket counter at Geranium Station. Naturally, she had intended to buy a first-class ticket, but she’d just been told that first class was sold out for today.

First-class seats never sold out unless it was a popular tourist destination—and the Odor Territory certainly wasn’t one.

‘Something’s suspicious.’

Feeling an odd vibe, Orentia asked the clerk,

“What’s going on? Did some ruffian take over all the first-class seats?”

Judging by the clerk’s expression, her guess seemed correct.

She’d heard stories of selfish nobles or bourgeois sometimes buying up all first-class tickets to monopolize an entire train car.

Orentia herself had plenty of money; if she wanted, she could easily buy out all the first-class tickets too. But she never did it out of respect for others who might genuinely need those tickets.

Yet today, someone utterly lacking in manners appeared to have claimed the entire first-class section for themselves.

Orentia wouldn’t have minded riding in second class, but she was intensely curious about who that ruffian was.

“Just who is that person?”

A frown creased Orentia’s brow—she looked just like a small animal that had just had its food snatched away.

The clerk wouldn’t give her a straight answer, leaving her frustrated.

‘Well, of course—they can’t disclose a customer’s personal information for security reasons.’

She knew that, yet she couldn’t suppress her curiosity.

After a moment, the clerk handed her a second-class ticket and said,

“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you. Would you mind taking second class just for today?”

“No, I don’t mind riding second class, but…”

“Then have a pleasant journey! Next, please!”

Orentia accepted the second-class ticket and was gently nudged away by Bobby. The clerk immediately turned his attention to the person who’d been waiting behind Orentia for a long time, and Orentia pouted.

“Who on earth could it be? Who would do something so foolish? I’m sure I’m not the only one who needs a first-class ticket.”

“It’s not even illegal. What do you plan to do about it, Miss? Let’s just go.”

At Bobby’s words, Orentia reluctantly boarded the train.

The train passing through the Odor Territory was fairly comfortable. Though she’d worried about riding second class instead of first, aside from the lack of a lounge and the narrower seat spacing, the exterior looked nearly identical.

But the moment she sat down, a complaint escaped her lips.

“I can’t even fully stretch my legs…”

Of course, it was better than third class, where there was absolutely no legroom—but the inability to stretch her legs comfortably still came as a shock.

She sighed and glanced subtly toward the first-class carriage. She wanted to see exactly who was in first class, but it seemed impossible—the entrance was guarded by men in black uniforms.

‘They definitely look like knights, but they’re not wearing any family crests?’

Knights usually wore uniforms bearing their family’s crest. The Armenuaka family’s crest was an apricot tree, Marquis Luxus’s was an eagle, and Count Odor’s was a crescent moon.

Mercenaries were typically free-spirited individuals, while knights carried a distinct air of discipline and neatness.

Thus, Orentia assumed the men guarding the first-class entrance must belong to some knightly order.

‘Well, what do I care? Whoever’s in first class must be moving secretly.’

How much time had passed?

Just as Orentia stopped thinking about first class and turned to gaze out the window,

Bobby, seated by the window, started dozing off, her head nodding forward and back. She must have been exhausted from packing their luggage before dawn.

Carefully, Orentia lifted Bobby’s head and gently rested it against the leather seat. Worried she might be cold in her thin dress, Orentia covered her with a blanket and brushed aside the bangs brushing against her eyes.

‘Sleep comfortably, Bobby.’

While tending to Bobby, the guards stationed in front of the first-class door all suddenly vanished.

Had they gone together to use the restroom or something?

Orentia glanced briefly at Bobby, now peacefully asleep against the leather seat, then quietly rose from her own. She intended to sneak into the first-class section for just a moment—without Bobby noticing.

She only planned to peek at the passenger’s face and return immediately, so it shouldn’t cause any trouble. After all, Orentia simply couldn’t stand uncertainty or unresolved curiosity.

First, she stepped into the corridor. The other second-class passengers didn’t seem curious at all about who had monopolized first class—they were either sleeping or occupied with their own matters.

ads

Only Orentia opened the door and slipped into the next carriage.

It was eerily quiet.

Orentia spotted a large brown briefcase on one seat but saw no person.

‘Are they in the lounge?’

Casually, as if she herself had purchased a first-class ticket, Orentia walked toward the lounge.

Unlike the rest of first class, the lounge felt strangely off. Normally, staff should have been present—but it was completely empty, and…

“Be quiet.”

A strange man’s voice spoke from right beside her.

‘What’s going on?’

Before Orentia could even process the situation, someone firmly seized her body. Judging by the large hands and firm chest, it was a man.

The man, wearing a black mask, held Orentia with one hand and pressed a silver dagger precisely against her throat.

Honestly.

She truly tried her hardest to stay silent.

But she was so terrified that she screamed anyway.

“Kyaa!”

Most Commented This Week
Prev
Next

YOUR COMMENT

1. Please write comments in English.
2. Inline comments are now available. Tap the end of any line in a chapter to share your thoughts instantly.
Tags:
Contract Marriage